Tx A&M Forest Service

Texas A&M Forest Service Issues Safety Tips for Fourth of July Holiday

June 28, 2018 College Station, Texas – There are many ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, and while sitting by the campfire, grilling a favorite dish or using fireworks are common activities — they could spark a wildfire.

Approximately 90 percent of wildfires are caused by people and their activities and Independence Day is one of the top days of reported wildfires. Texas A&M Forest Service encourages everyone to be careful this holiday.

Forestry Agency Uses a Web Application to Support Economic Development in East Texas

June 22, 2018 Lufkin — Angelina Forest Products, LLC recently announced plans to open a $100 million sawmill in Lufkin, Texas. The softwood mill is expected to be in place by spring of 2019, creating 100 full-time jobs and contributing $52 million to the Texas economy in its first year.

“We made the decision to build a mill in Lufkin for several reasons,” said Angelina Forest Products Executive Vice President Stephen Raley. “The area offers an abundance of sustainable forest resources as well as a talented workforce familiar with the industry.”

Firefighters Gather in East Texas for Annual Wildland Fire Training Academy

May 16, 2018 Lufkin, Texas – More than 200 emergency responders will attend the 21st Annual East Texas Wildfire and Incident Management Academy over the next two weeks to improve their knowledge and skills for combating wildfires and managing the complex, large scale disasters that often occur in Texas.

Texas A&M Forest Service Mobilizes Urban Forest Strike Teams

October 3, 2017 - Texas A&M Forest Service recently mobilized Urban Forest Strike Teams to the coastal Texas towns of Rockport, Fulton, Refugio and Victoria to assess damage to the trees on public property resulting from Hurricane Harvey.
Impacted communities deal with many post-storm issues, one of which includes destruction to public trees. To assess their storm-damaged trees, the communities called upon the expertise of Texas A&M Forest Service and the Urban Forest Strike Team.

Funds Available for Forest Thinning Through Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program

September 6, 2017 College Station, Texas — Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting applications for the 2017 Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program. Through this cost-share program eligible forest landowners can receive financial and technical assistance related to reducing the threat of future SPB infestations and outbreaks.

Funds provided by USDA Forest Service-Region 8 and Forest Health Protection can assist landowners with conducting first thin operations in overly dense, pulpwood size pine stands in 23 East Texas counties.

Firefighters Gather in Lufkin for Annual Wildland Fire Training Academy

May 8, 2017 Lufkin – Nearly 150 emergency responders will attend the 20th Annual East Texas Wildfire and Incident Management Academy this month to improve their knowledge and skills for combating wildfires and managing the complex, large scale disasters that often occur in Texas.

Critical Fire Weather Conditions Present Over Western Texas

March 23, 2017 Midland, Texas — Critical fire weather conditions will be present over portions of Western Texas and the Panhandle beginning today and continuing through Friday.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued an alert putting western portions of the state in the “elevated”, “critical” and “extreme” categories for wildfire potential.
The areas of concern are Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Fort Stockton and El Paso regions.

Texas, Great Plains Wildfires Spurred by Dry, Windy Conditions

March 7, 2017 AMARILLO, Texas — Multiple wildfires are still burning across the Texas Panhandle following yesterday’s elevated fire conditions across the Southern Plains.

Texas A&M Forest Service responded to three large fires for 325,680 acres.

The Dumas Complex Fire, in Potter County near the city of Amarillo, ignited amid humidity values in the single digits and winds gusting in excess of 50 mph. The fire spread rapidly and threatened hundreds of homes. It is currently an estimated 29,197 acres and 75 percent contained.

Drones Slow Wildfire Response, Ground Firefighting Aircraft

February 25, 2017 COLLEGE STATION, Texas — With the Texas winter wildfire season upon us, officials at Texas A&M Forest Service are responding to an increase in wildfire frequency across the state. Yesterday, two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATS) responding to a wildfire in Erath County were grounded due to the presence of a drone in the wildfire perimeter.

Flying a drone near a wildfire creates a serious safety hazard for firefighters and halts the assistance of any firefighting aircraft.

Critical Fire Weather Conditions Present Over Texas Plains

February 22, 2017 Amarillo, Texas — Critical fire weather conditions will be present over the Texas Plains region Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued an alert putting western portions of the state in the “extreme”, “critical” and “elevated” categories for wildfire potential.

The areas of concern are Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Fort Stockton, Wichita Falls, San Angelo and El Paso regions.

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